Another one who identified Foley's poem was Ardis Rhoades, Coleraine, Minn., who says she had to memorize many poems in the days she attended Clifton District 50 school east of Fingal, N.D.

Morning Edition asked readers to submit poems in the form of letters, addressed to anyone. NPR poet-in-residence Kwame Alexander drew from the more than 600 responses to create a community poem.